A new SMARTLINE-PV study by bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH examines the potential release of hazardous substances from lead- and tin-based perovskite PV modules. The paper is now available in the EU PVSEC 2026 proceedings.
The researchers adapted Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to five application and end-of-life scenarios. Within this framework, tin-based absorbers showed lower assessed risk potential in every scenario, while the highest risks were identified for lead-based systems during end-of-life treatment.
The assessment specifically concerns compounds released from the perovskite absorber layer, rather than the complete environmental profile of a module. Its findings support SMARTLINE-PV’s focus on lead-free perovskite technology.
Publication:
Environmental Risk Assessment of Hazardous Substance Release Potential of Lead- and Tin-Based Perovskite PV Modules
Authors: Matthias Hämmer, Kerstin Baumann, Victor Aigbeghian and Markus Schönheits.
Organisation: bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH, Augsburg, Germany.
ResearchGate
DOI: 10.4229/EUPVSEC2026/5DV.2.31